Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 21-06-2017

It wasn’t goodbye Somalia yet after all for the Al-Imdaad Foundation team and myself.

Panicking, we had arrived at the Aden Abdulle Airport in Mogadishu almost 2 hours later than planned due our transport not arriving on time and the various security checks.

But little did we know what was going to happen at the airport.

After going through two security checks, removing laptops and switching them on, and emptying everything from my pockets including taking off my trouser belt, the third check was something I had never experienced before while travelling.

Before I could enter the boarding area for our Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul, I was asked to put my bag on the table and remove my shoes.

Turkish airlines security than used some sort of ‘paper’, it looked like litmus paper, rubbing it on my clothes, body and hand luggage including my computer.

I later learnt that the “paper rubbing” procedure was to test for bomb residue. One of the officials told me that in January this year, a bomb had gone off just 500 meters away from where we were, killing several people and wounding many others. The blast also shattered all the widows of the airport.

The Turkish official showed me security footage of the explosion and how he ran for cover. Terror group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.

Once done at the checkpoint, the Al-Imdaad team and I waited for our flight to Istanbul.

Than suddenly something strange happened…

As the Turkish Airlines plane was about to touch down on the runway at Aden Abdulle Airport, I am sure the pilot pulled up and it suddenly took off again! It never landed…

We were all in shock,  what had just happened? A Turkish official told us that the plane had apparently tried to land 9 times unsuccessfully that same day.

We later learned that the plane was not returning at all and had flown on to Nairobi. The Turkish officials packed up their security checking equipment and left. We were stranded.

So many were wondering why the plane did not land?

When I tried finding out, a bewildered Turkish passenger told me that Turkish airlines were allegedly using new pilots and they had no experience to land in windy conditions.

We all thought it was preposterous if it were true, because there were a lot irate passengers who had no ride to their destinations. What about the passengers that were suppose to disembark at Aden Abdulle Airport in Mogadishu?

We gathered our luggage and had a meeting to discuss our options. For me personally, I think Somalia had fallen so deeply in love with us and it refused us to let us go.

Secretly I wished I could stay for one more day so I could see that little boy in the orange that captured my heart. But it wasn’t to be and I am glad in away, because the decision to finally leave was the right one and in the best interests of the team.

Eventually we decided to book a Somali based Jubba Airways flight to Dubai where we would then take a flight to Istanbul and from Istanbul another flight to Johannesburg and finally home.

The Jubba Airways flight made a brief stopover at Bosaso Airport, also known as Bender Qassim International Airport in Somalia before taking off for Dubai.

After arriving in Dubai we got the connecting Turkish Airlines flight and boarded just after 1:30am reaching Istanbul in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Facing challenges like these can ignite short fuses because we were all fasting and experiencing a day wherein there were so many different hurdles along the way is surely a test from Allah.

Despite all this, everyone remarkably kept their patience but in the end we had the best Ifthar in the world, on a plane. We were tired, hungry and when the pilot announced the time to break the fast had set in, the dates handed out by the steward had the sweet taste of success.

I have to acknowledge that the number of difficulties we faced did also not really faze anyone in the team. That’s because CEO Yacoob Vahed was an exceptional leader who continued to inspire the team along and always consulted each one of us before a decision was taken.

In a previous story I have highlighted that humanitarian relief work is not easy, it has its challenges and everyone in this group, myself, Azhar Vadi, Ml. Muhammad Motala, Ml Abdullah, Zaakir Rawat, Yacoob Vahed and Mohsin from IHH in Turkey had the resolve to see the difficulty through. That takes courage and a lot of patience.

When we checked into the Clarion Hotel in Turkey courtesy of Turkish Airlines so we could rest before taking our flight home, the reality of what we experienced begun to sink in.

It is something I nor any others in the team would forget.

One of those memories is that we had spent more than 30 hours in the air, visiting three different countries.

Hours after we left Mogadishu, a bomb ripped through the Somali capital killing at least nine people

The bomber posing as a milk delivery van sneaked into the Wadajir district headquarters nor far from where where we stayed in Mogadishu before detonating the explosive.

It is indeed sad  we didn’t have time to take the Syrian orphans eid shopping as planned, but there is always a next time.

The interaction with the children would’ve been a memory to cherish along with the others I made on this mission with the Al-Imdaad Foundation.

Ifthar in Istanbul was spent with Naran & Mihrap from IHH who have also been phenomenal in coordinating efforts during the mission to Somalia. They have done everything possible to ensure that we were taken care off.

A number of lessons could be learnt from the challenges and experiences we faced over the past two days.

Air travel and logistics of it are unpredictable and that there is never a guarantee that all will go according to plan.

Allah may sometimes have a different plan and He also tests you in many ways, and how you conduct yourself and react to these challenges makes you a better and stronger person.

As we gathered our hand luggage’s for one final time, a tinge of sadness enveloped the team, because the trial and tribulations of the last few days have brought us closer and that is priceless.

The Turkish Airlines plane touched down at OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa just after 10:30am this morning…we were home.

After the usual immigration processes and luggage collection, the Al-Imdaad team gathered along with myself and Azhar Vadi and bid each other farewell.

Goodbyes are not easy…the mission to Somalia with Al-Imdaad, IHH and Zam Zam Foundation has been a wonderful experience that I will cherish for the rest of my live or until the next assignment.

Twitter: @FaizelPatel143